CLAREMONT, Calif. – The University of Redlands Women's Water Polo team (1-11) won their first game of the season as they defeated Penn State Behrend 11-8 in their first game of Day 2 action at the Claremont Convergence. In game two they lost to the Virginia Military Institute (VMI) 17-6 to conclude the two-day event.
Penn State Behrend (W, 11-8)
Upperclassmen Kaitlynn Pierceall (Beaumont, CA) and Emma Parker (Yucaipa, CA) got the Bulldogs off to a great start as they gave Redlands a 2-0 lead in the first 2:02.
The Lions were able to respond with a goal at the 5:49 mark before Lucia Notaro (Thousand Oaks, CA) and Pierceall went back-to-back to make it 4-1 Bulldogs. Ainsley Killian (Beaverton, OR) and Parker got the assists on the two goals.
At the end of one the Bulldogs led by two, 5-3, with the fifth goal coming from Sofia Portello (Sonoma, CA) who was assisted by Christine Chua (Arcadia, CA).
Parker opened the second quarter scoring as Pierceall found her for an even strength goal. That advantage, though, would be cut to one, 6-5, following a pair of Behrend tallies.
After a goalless drought of six minutes and 20 seconds, Pierceall was set up by Portello for a goal with only :18 seconds left in the first half as UR went into the break up two, 7-5.
In the third the Bulldogs took control of the game as they allowed only one goal and scored three times moving their lead to four, 10-6, after three. Parker, Portello, and Notaro all scored with Evelyn Teeter (Westminster, CA), Pierceall and Chua all getting credited with assists.
Over the first four plus minutes of the fourth quarter Redlands was held scoreless, while Behrend put two in the back of the net as it was only a two-goal game, 10-8, with 3:55 left.
Like it has been the entire tournament Pierceall came up with the big score only :29 seconds after the last Lion finish as the defense would not concede again and the Bulldogs went on to win their first game since April of last year.
The Bulldogs did get outshot by the Lions 29-20, but Teeter made 12 saves and posted a .600 save percentage. Pierceall added four goals, two assists, three steals, and a drawn exclusion. Notaro and Portello each added a pair of goals. Parker and Portello each had four points.
Virginia Military Institute (L, 17-6)
The Keydets started the game with the first three goals of the contest before Parker was able to get the Bulldogs on the board at the 5:39 mark of the first quarter.
With less than a minute left in the half the Bulldogs had not scored in more than 13 minutes, but Alyssa Sorrell (Highland, CA) was able to find the back of the net as UR trailed 11-2 at the break.
Making it back-to-back goals to start the second half was Parker as she beat the Keydet keeper in the first minute.
Parker would add two more goals in the third quarter before the sixth and final goal of the game came from Katelyn Dwelley (Wildomar, CA) with :31 seconds remaining in the game.
The Bulldogs took 24 shots with 15 of them requiring a save or finding the back of the net. Of the six goals four of them came from Parker as she tied for a game-high.
Redlands will be back in the pool this week as they open up Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) play on Wednesday, March 6 at 7:00 p.m. in Orange as they take on Chapman University.
